


A cup or two

by AsheTarasovich (natalieashe), Boffin1710



Series: A cup or two [1]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Bakery and Coffee Shop, Coffee cures all, Complicated Relationships, Enforced separation, Lack of Communication, M/M, Missing someone, Separation Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:51:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7695448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/AsheTarasovich, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/pseuds/Boffin1710
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the simple moments in life... the small ones.  Simple moments of conversation over a cup of coffee in a quiet corner of a cafe. Sometimes he most important things in life are said, or not said, and shared with someone else that keep you sane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Your coffee is cold.  And I ate your biscuit_ .

  
Nothing...  Alec's mobile was stubbornly silent.  
  
_You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago._

  
Still nothing.  
  
_Q, where are you?_

 _  
_ _Q, I know I didn't piss you off._

 _  
_ _Fine, I'll buy you another biscuit._

  
Another 20 minutes passed before Alec gave up on Q appearing for their coffee date and wandered back over Vauxhall Bridge.  
  
Q wasn't at his workstation.  Or in his office.  Tanner was, however, with R and a briefcase and a brand new state of the art smartphone.    
It pinged right on cue and R handed it over.  
  
_Sorry.  Will explain later. Everything you need is in the case or on the phone.  Your flight leaves in 40 mins.  Bit of a bloody crisis actually.  Fuck.  
This wasn't supposed to happen._

 _  
_ _This is Q btw.  Use this phone. It's secure._

  
Alec was halfway into a ten hour flight before he realised it would be a long time until their next coffee date...


	2. Chapter 2

I apologise for just making you sit around an entire second week biding time Alec, but it is important that those in the area are comfortable with your presence and nothing seems out of the ordinary.  You should be accustomed to it though.  

These long term recon mission are your forte. You possess that capability to morph and blend into your surroundings anywhere.  Not all Double O's have that skill… like Bond.

You know there are times during mission briefs like this morn that it is very hard to maintain the Quartermaster and not want to say…   well never mind.

Call if you can this evening.  6:00 pm your time. 2300 here.  You know the number.  And yes, the mobile you have is secure.  My latest new toy.   I’ll still be in my office. 002 is going out tonight.

Amelie misses you.  
  
This is going to be a long mission.  


	3. Chapter 3

I guess this is Good Morning from the good old US of A.  I suppose I should be grateful this cover is at least in civilisation for a change.  And the apartment you set me up with is very smart. But…

Well, I have my choice of coffee shops.  At least one on every block and no one cares if I sit here for hours staring at my laptop or phone.

But it's not the same is it?  I like my coffee with a healthy dose of snark and a missing half muffin.  I feel set up for the day if I’ve heard all about R’s latest date night, or Mallory’s stupid plan for stretching the 00 budget…

All I get here is smiles and ‘have a nice day’.  As if…

So, you would hate my neighbour on sight.  Looks meek and mild, carries a messenger bag, wears glasses.  Such a bloody geeky hipster lol. I assume he’s been fully vetted and isn’t one of your lot?  Or fucking CIA?  Just some regular bloke?  Maybe want to check him out though… He’s said hello to me at least twice which has to be suspicious in this city.

New York was a bit of a surprise destination, I have to be honest, and your instructions were bloody vague.  How long do I have to wander the neighbourhood and sit on my arse before you tell me what i’m here for?

Sorry.  Know i’m a grumpy bastard…  But really, coffee definitely does not taste the same when drunk alone at… 11am Eastern time.

The donuts here are almost as good as my favourite muffins back home.  I buy you one every day too… Well it seems rude to eat and drink, chatting to you in my head, but you having nothing…  

Ugh.  I’ve only been here a week and already I’m cracking up!  Give me some orders Q, I beg of you…  Something more than ‘get your face known in the area’.  Surely we’re due a check in?


	4. Chapter 4

This morn, you know that cafe we often frequent on the north end of the Lambeth Bridge… Well I was out and about way too early to head into work (couldn’t sleep, as usual.  You know the routine. Bed too large), so me needing caffeine was a major priority mission at that moment.  

So I popped by there, crowd was sparse for that hour, and the young female Barista (who’s name I can never remember) was staffing the counter.  You know, the one with the green and purple swath through her hair that always tries to pick out the largest muffin for you.  We must frequent there enough when she is working, order the same cuppa, that as I approach the counter she tells me “I’ve got you taken care of”.

Before I know it or realise, she has sat in front of me two cups.  

Our usuals.  

One for me.  

One for you.

And I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it's just me here today.

Alone.

Because you are 10 or more hours away, gallivanting around in the States.  

I thanked her politely with a smile, paying for both.

So it's two coffees for me this morn.  Not as if I won’t drink them.  Just a tad bit more caffeine in me before I reach work and start on my next caffeine fix there.

Must remember to speak up next time.  This is going to be a long couple of months.

Oh… they had those amazing blueberry raspberry muffins this morn with glaze and extra sugar on the top.   I bought one for me.

And one for you too.  

They were excellent.  

 


	5. Chapter 5

I had to walk out this morning.  The tension and the insanity was like ozone in the air as if we had created another electrical storm in R&D.  I have been there fours day, three nights through budget meetings, missions that have become utter cock ups, three attempts to infiltrate the system, and HR has the nerve to think I have time to do performance reviews.

Walked out through security and just said “I’m leaving for a tad.”

Tanner probably had someone follow me.  I haven’t bothered to look.  

They are probably at this very moment reporting back to Moneypenny how many cigarettes I smoked in the way here… Will have to listen to THAT later.  I know.  Should quit. Blah blah blah….

At the moment, I don’t care.  

Just needed out.  

Needed air.

Sorry… ranting.

On a better note, the coffee is excellent today

and I have managed to not kill anyone this week yet…

... yet.

The week is still young though.   

Your mission needs to end soon,

but I am afraid that isn’t going to happen.

What is the saying… My relationship status is sleeping sideways across a king size bed.

An awful choice…

Oh!  Amelie misses you.  She left a present for you on your pillow again the other night.  At least it was dead this time and not alive.


	6. Chapter 6

I think I’m spending too much time in this coffee shop.  The barista has taken to delivering my coffee with hearts and flowers…  

He stops to chat far too often, which is inconvenient, so I had to come up with a plausible cover.  

You’re dating the next J K Rowling…

One benefit is our target has noticed me.  Sympathetic looks when he asks me yet again how the latest chapter is going, and today she stopped by my table with a fresh cup that she intercepted.

To say he looked like he was sucking lemons is an understatement.

So… Contact is established. I have an office, though apparently I prefer the coffee here…  

And you just sent me about two dozen files to read through.

I hope at least one of these is a picture of how much you’re missing me?  :-)


	7. Chapter 7

I decided to stay in this evening.  Dinner was something I grabbed from the store and I actually managed to find a little place that sells British food.  Real English tea bags!  You have no idea of the odd things I miss when away.  Well, there’s you of course…

It was so good to finally be able to talk to you.  Properly. Not mission related.  Just hearing your voice while you told me about Amelie’s latest gift had me smiling for the past couple of days. By the way, if I come home to a dead goldfish on my pillow I will turn her into slippers!  Where did she even steal it from?

I made contact with the mark today.  She’s working out of an office three blocks away.  I’ll send you the address.  See if you can rent an office in the building or one with visual access.  She frequents two different coffee shops and three bars.  

Oh and a mutual friend popped up to say hello.  Did you know our US pals had an interest?  Might want to find out what they are up to.

I guess i’ll send this now…  Attached a photo of supper. 


End file.
